PENNY POSTAGE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14001, 6 September 1907, Page 5

PENNY POSTAGE

OPPOSITION BY COMMONWEALTH OFFICIALS. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. MELBOURNE, September 5. 1 The Postmaster-general states that there is little chancc of the Penny Postage Bill posing this session. The departmental officials strongly oppose it owing to the prospective loss of revenue involved,

In tho course of a speech on August 2 Senator Keating 'informed Senator St. Ledger (Q.) that the anticipated, annual decrease in the revenues of the States on the imposition of a uniform penny postage rate throughout the Commonwealth would' bo:—New South Wales, £62.000: Victoria, £10,000; Queensland, £28,000; South Australia. £24,000; Western Australia, £20,000; Tasmania. £16,000. That made a total of £160.000, or £120,000 for tho nine months ending Juno 50. 1908. But in view of the experience with Canada, New Zealand, and elsowhorc, it was anticipated that tho diminution in revenuo would in three or four years be fully recovered, consequent upon tho growth of . correspondence. The anticipated docrease would be debited to tho respective States, and the subsequent anticipated increase would bo credited to them. Senator Dobson stated that Tasmania would lose £22,000.